404 SCANDIX. [CLASS V. ORDER II. 



GENUS LXXX. SCAN\DIX. LINN. Shepherd's Needle. 



GEN. CHAR. Calyx an obsolete margin. Petals obovate, with an 



inflexed point. Fruit with the sides compressed, and with a very 



long beak. Carpels with five obtuse equal ridges, the lateral 



ones forming the margin. Channels without or with scarcely any 



vitta. Albumen roundish, with a deep furrow in front. General 



involucre wanting, or of few segments, partial of from five to 



seven. Name from <TKM, to prick, from the shape of the seeds. 



1. S. Pec' ten, Linn. (Fig. 464.) Needle Chervil, Venus' Comb, or 



Shepherd's Needle. Involucre with the segments two or three times 



cut, or entire; fruit compressed at the back, rough, with a bristly 



edged beak ; leaves cut into numerous short linear segments. 



English Botany, t. 1397. - English Flora, vol. ii. p. 46. Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p. 137. Lindley, Synopsis, p. 125. 



Root tapering, somewhat woody. Stems mostly numerous, some- 

 times simple, branched, leafy, spreading, about a foot high, roundish, 

 furrowed, smooth, or scattered over with spreading hairs. Leaves 

 on slender footstalks, dilated and sheathing at the base, with a pale 

 membranous mostly fringed margin, tri-pinnale, smooth, pale green, 

 with short linear acute numerous segments. Umbels terminal and 

 lateral, numerous, mostly in pairs, the general of seldom more than 

 two rays. General involucre none, partial of numerous segments, 

 simple, or more or less numerously cut in a pinnate manner, roughish 

 on the margins. Flowers white, not very numerous, on short 

 footstalks. Calyx an obsolete margin. Petals unequal, the outer 

 ones larger than the others, obovate, with a mid-rib, notched at the 

 extremity with a small inflexed point. Stamens with awl-shaped 

 filaments and small dark anthers. Styles straight, with small obtuse 

 stigmas. Disk concave, dark coloured. Fruit ovate oblong, with a 

 very long stout beak, as broad at the base as the fruit, tapering up- 

 wards to a point, smooth, somewhat striated, with a pale margin, 

 rough, with sharp rigid bristles on the margin pointed upwards, and 

 crowned by the straight styles, ridges of the fruit pale, obtuse, rough, 

 with minute sharp points. Channels shallow, without or with a simple 

 dark coloured vitta;, running the whole length of the channels. Al- 

 lumen roundish at the back, deeply furrowed in front. 

 Habitat. Corn fields abundant. 

 Annual; flowering in June and July. 



This plant does not appear to be applied to any particular purpose ; 

 in some parts of the country it is so abundant as to be a troublesome 

 weed; it is very variable in size and appearance : we have perfect full 

 grown plants in seed not more than an inch and half high, and others 



